USA Cycling Officials' Continuing Education Program

Beginning in 2014, USA Cycling will be implementing a mandatory education program for all officials. This new education program will be rolled out in a tiered process, allowing members to aclimitize themselves to the process.

Purpose and Goals.

To assure that all working race officials are current on USA Cycling (USAC) Rules, policies, and procedures.

To enhance officiating skills within the corps of officials.

To assure national uniformity in the application of USAC rules, policies and procedures.

To increase the level of professionalism within the corps of officials.

Application and Effective Date.
This continuing education (“CE”) program shall be mandatory for all USAC licensed officials, effective immediately.

Minimum CE Requirements.
The minimum CE requirements imposed on officials’ increases during the initial three years of the program to allow development of the necessary programmatic materials and supporting infrastructure to successfully administrate the CE program. The initial requirements are:

2014. To renew a USAC Official’s license in 2014 and beyond, the renewing official must have attended the annual seminar on new rules, procedures, and policies. This course will be offered by way of a local meeting in most areas. For the renewing official who is unable to attend a local meeting, the same program will be offered on-line.

2015. To renew a USAC Official’s license in 2015, the renewing official must have attended the annual seminar on new rules, procedures, and policies, and must have completed at least one (1) additional hour of continuing education.

2016 and Subsequent Years. To renew a USAC Official’s license in 2016 and any subsequent year, the renewing official must have attended the annual seminar on new rules, procedures, and policies. In addition, each renewing official must have completed at least three (3) additional hours of continuing education before renewal. One of these additional hours can be certified self-study.

Officials Catagories
All members holding an Officials License shall be subject to the minimum requirements with the following exceptions:

Level C Officials. Level C officials shall only be required to complete the annual seminar on new rules, procedures, and policies in order to fulfill their continuing education requirement.

Annual Seminar on New Rules, Procedures, and Policies.
There will be an annual program created each year addressing rule changes, new or modified procedures applicable to officials, and any new policies affecting officials or officiating.

This program will be developed and updated annually by USAC staff. The program outline, script, lesson plan, and any accompanying materials such as a PowerPoint presentation, handouts, and other program materials, will be made available to the RTCs, Regional Coordinators (RCs) and Local Associations (LAs) as early as practical. The program will be presented in as many localities at local officials’ meetings as possible. The program will also be available on the USAC website for any official unable to attend a local meeting at which the program is presented.

Subject to logical and necessary variation from year to year, the program will be approximately 45 minutes – 1 hour in length.

Annual completion of this program is mandatory for all officials.

Development of Program Materials and Infrastructure.
Responsibility for program development shall be with USAC staff.

Presentation of Program Materials.
Program materials and seminars will be presented in two manners.

First, they will be made available to designated instructors selected by the RTC and approved by the NTC and Technical Director. These instructors will present seminars at selected locations within their respective Regions.

Second, sufficient seminars to fulfill the CE requirement will be made available without charge to any licensed official via the USAC website. The attendance of the individual officials will be recorded by the website.

Continuing Development of Program Materials.
The continued development of program materials shall be the responsibility of USAC staff.

Certified Self Study.
Certified self study consists of any activity relating to the duties and obligations of a licensed official reasonably calculated to improve or enhance the individual official’s officiating skills.

Additional Ways to Satisfy Requirements.
Continuing education credits may be obtained in several manners other than attendance at USAC or UCI in-person seminars or through webinars.

These include by way of example: attendance at corporate or employer sponsored programs, or programs of professional societies or association which are directly relevant to officiating such as programs on elimination of bias, or management and supervision of difficult employees; attendance at programs presented by other sports officiating entities, such as a Little League or Pop Warner referees program on dealing with difficult parents; or a red cross or other program granting a certificate in CPR or First Aid.

Full continuing education credit will be given for service on any UCI or USAC board, commission, or committee, including a RTC, or functioning as a local assigner.

Continuing education credit will be given for attendance at any “officials summit” conducted by USAC. This full credit will satisfy an official’s continuing education requirement for both the year of attendance and the following calendar year.

Continuing education credit will be given for attendance at any upgrade clinic or seminar conducted by USAC. Passing the course and upgrading will satisfy the official’s continuing education requirement for both the year of attendance and the following calendar year.

Continuing education credit will be given for successfully completing and upgrading via on-line modules. This upgrade will satisfy the official’s continuing education requirement for both the year of completing of the modules and upgrading and the following calendar year.

Full continuing education credit will be given for teaching a USAC seminar, developing a USAC continuing education program, or authoring any published work on an officiating-related topic published in a journal or magazine of general circulation to sports officials.

Selection of Instructors.
Instructors may be nominated by an LA, by a RC, or by any member of the RTC or NTC. Instructors must be A level or above and must be approved by the RTC and the Technical Director or NTC and TD. An instructor must have demonstrated a detailed understanding of the subject upon which they will conduct a seminar. Instructors will follow the lesson plan or outline provided for the seminar, subject, of course, to natural deviations generated by student questions and/or class discussion.

This Article Published March 15, 2013
For more information contact: tmahoney -at- usacycling dot org

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